Downtown
by McGonagall's Bola
Summary: When the insane Professor Gibbon is hired for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts in 1990, Hogwarts shall have Halloween like never before… much to the joy of the second-year Weasley twins… and eventually, Minerva McGonagall. -REWRITTEN!


The lyrics used in this piece of fan-fiction, are from _Downtown. _I don't own anything; it belongs to Petula Clark.

* * *

"I'll never get how you have gotten it into your head to hire this, this…" Minerva began. She sighed, when seeing Albus' smile.

"Ah, Minerva, with him the pupils at least won't forget to have fun tonight, especially after these somewhat darker times…" he said, and happily nodded to the second-year Weasley twins in the far away corner of the Great Hall, who both appeared to be rehearsing a silly little dance that Albus quietly assumed to be fitting with their karaoke of later.

Albus' eyes happily, maybe mischievously, flickered behind his famous half-moon eyeglasses, upon watching Minerva slowly lower herself further into her chair as Professor Gibbon uneasily climbed onto a chair so that everyone would be able to see him. Minerva's eyes rolled in annoyance. Even after a couple of glasses of red wine, she still didn't feel more affection for the red haired wizard with his moustache. In her head Minerva often made the comparison with a red scrubbing brush. She barely noticed the wave of Albus' wand, with which he inconspicuously refilled her glass with wine. He hadn't really seen her laughing in a while. Maybe he should aid her in enjoying the festivities as well. There wasn't teaching tomorrow.

"And now, for the very first time in the history of Hogwarts…" Professor Gibbon enthusiastically announced.

"And hopefully the last, too," Minerva muttered dryly, before taking another sip of her wine. She even failed to notice that the liquid had been refilled in her annoyance.

She quietly raised her eyes and saw the identical Weasley twins before her on Gibbon's make-shift stage, each with a microphone in hand. Minerva easily recognized the music as Professor Flitwick's magical musical instruments began performing the tunes of The Supremes' _Stop! In The Name Of Love_. She vaguely recalled it from her early years as a teacher. As a teacher you often heard and saw new things. Minerva certainly believed it actually aided in keeping one younger by heart and soul and mind…even though not in appearance. If she recalled everything well, it had been one of the hits in the mid-sixties, when Fred and George Weasley's mother had still been a pupil. She could vividly imagine the older Molly doing her dishes with or without magic on the tunes of this.

She miserably failed to hold in a chuckle even though dry and throaty, watching the red haired twins' dance to the refrain. She couldn't say if maybe the effects of the alcohol began having its consequences, but she couldn't say she disliked being there any longer…

* * *

By ten most of the somewhat younger pupils had made their ways to the dormitories, even though the festivities of Professor Gibbon hadn't quite come to an end yet. It didn't seem like that was going to be the case anytime soon either. For occasions like these, the matter of curfew was of course different from usual.

Minerva, even though not entirely intoxicated, was by this time lightly tipsy after a couple of glasses of deep red wine… like most everyone else. She thus barely noticed the three Ravenclaws staggering from the stage and Gibbon near her. She suddenly felt herself being lifted from her seat and vaguely registered Albus thoughtfully taking her glass, before Gibbon enthusiastically dragged her over to the stage. She almost immediately began boggling and arguing. "I'm not going to sing!" She hissed, doing her best to pull herself from Gibbon's grip.

He, however, only released her when both of them had gotten onto his little make-shift stage. "Professor McGonagall!" He announced, and almost immediately encouraging screams could be heard from most everyone – even from some slightly tipsy Slytherins. She quietly gazed at her companion, Albus Dumbledore, who happily cheered together with basically everyone else. She momentarily narrowed her eyes at him dangerously, before shaking her head, and turning to leave the stage. "Come on!" Gibbon said, then, "Coward!"

At that, Minerva suddenly discontinued her way down from his stage. As a teacher she had learned not to react to most of what she heard and saw, but one thing she wouldn't let her ever be told, was being a coward. She gruffly turned to face Gibbon again, something much like anger visible in her eyes. He unconsciously swallowed at that sight and didn't fail to notice her nostrils flare. There were a lot of things she didn't put up with as a teacher. One must have some rules, and everyone should obey these, but never would she let anyone call her something such like a 'coward'. Minerva never would betray her House, and since Gryffindors were known to be courageous, she resolutely walked over to Gibbon, almost aggressively took his microphone and waved her wand at Flitwick's sheet music to change the notes. She then waited until he could lift his jaw again and began orchestrating his instruments to the tunes of the music Minerva had requested, before turning to the rest of the Great Hall.

She momentarily rested her teal green eyes on the headmaster, who appeared just a bit too innocent at everything. She thus quietly assumed that he might have something to do with Gibbon's sudden decision to come get her from the audience and lead her to his stage, even if it only had been the mention of her name. As Dumbledore too recognized the tones, his piercing blue eyes shimmered more than ever before that night. He encouragingly nodded at his deputy and smiled when she actually raised the microphone to her lips.

"When you're alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go downtown. When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry seems to help, I know, downtown."

By the time Minerva had finished singing the very first notes of another sixties hit like so many others that had passed that night after dinner, namely Petula Clark's _Downtown, _most of the jaws had sagged in surprise, not only at the rather awesome singing voice Professor McGonagall had hidden in that usual harsh tone for no one to have heard before, but mostly at the fact she actually was doing this, even though most of the night she had sat there in annoyance, just sipping from her wine. When Minerva McGonagall didn't particularly like someone much, that usually showed in everything and was noticeable by everyone.

"The lights are much brighter there; you can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares and go… Downtown! Things'll be great when you're… Downtown! No finer place for sure! Downtown… Everything's waiting for you! Downtown…"

Albus happily eyed his singing deputy. At least she had gotten loose tonight after all…


End file.
